Teen Accused Of Fatally Shooting Friend Will Face Charges In Court

The teenager accused of fatally shooting his friend while smoking marijuana in Wilkes-Barre in November waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Friday.

Kahzmeek Prater, 18, will now face the charges in Luzerne County Court.

Prater was slated to have a hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Tom Malloy in Wilkes-Barre, but decided to forward all charges to county court.

He is charged with involuntary manslaughter, possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, tampering with evidence and providing false information to law enforcement.

Police said Prater shot his friend, Jacob Shedlock, 18, inside 768 N. Pennsylvania Ave. while playing with a pistol and smoking marijuana.

Following his arraignment in November, Prater called the incident a “big accident” and he “really loved my friend Jacob.”

Initially, Prater claimed to have been in the bathroom when he heard a gunshot and came out to find Shedlock bleeding. He later admitted he shot his friend accidentally while trying to prevent a marijuana blunt from unraveling, police say.

Prater remains jailed in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $150,000 bail.